2009 MMA 12 months in Assessment

A lot has occurred over this previous 12 months on this planet of blended martial arts. From the consistency of the UFC to the event of Strikeforce to the re-appearance of Japanese promotions, MMA has continued its rise into the mainstream world. This 12 months has contributed in producing breakout stars like Cain Velasquez, Shane Carwin, and Gegard Mousasi, controversial major occasions like UFC 94 – GSP vs. Penn II (extra generally often called “Grease gate”), and unbelievable upset specials (suppose Brian Bowles over Miguel Torres or Jose Aldo over Mike Thomas Brown). Any discussions about this 12 months in MMA and you must point out a number of the sport’s finest fighters in addition to some shocking gamers. Fedor, who was all around the information this 12 months, was among the many finest in 2009. After stringing the UFC alongside and baiting Dana White into pondering that he would have monopoly on the game, Fedor shocked the MMA business by signing with former regional promotion, Strikeforce. The present WAMMA heavyweight champion picked up his 26th and 27th consecutive victories with a KO of Andrei Arlovski at Affliction “Day of Reckoning” in January after which a TKO of previously-unbeaten Brett Rogers at Strikeforce’s “Fedor vs. Rogers” in November.

Among the many different regular stars that produced in 2009 embrace, GSP, who used his freakishly deep skillset to dismantle BJ Penn at UFC 94 in January after which dipped into his device field as soon as once more to throttle Thiago Alves on the monumental UFC 100 in July. Jake Shields, a gradual drive in Strikeforce’s 185-pound division, additionally saved tempo with different stars by submitting Robbie Lawler this summer season and capturing the group’s middleweight title with a unanimous choice victory over Jason Miller this fall. There have been additionally nice surprises within the MMA world this 12 months, like Jose Aldo, a little-known Brazilian that now ranks on most top-10 pound-for-pound lists. “Junior” recorded 4 wins over the previous 12 months, starting with TKO’s of Rolando Perez at WEC 38 (January), Chris Mickle at WEC 39 (March), Cub Swanson at WEC 41 (June), and Mike Thomas Brown at WEC 44 this November to develop into the brand new WEC featherweight champion. Brian Bowles, though combating just one time over the previous calendar 12 months, was additionally a shock drive in MMA. The (Eight-Zero) Georgia-native and Three-to-1 underdog earned a formidable “KO of the Night” in opposition to Miguel Torres to start his tenure because the WEC Bantamweight champion in August at WEC 42. You must additionally embrace Lyoto Machida and Gegard Mousasi when discussing the 12 months’s finest fighters in 2009, though they slot in neither the veteran or breakout classes. Machida was Three-Zero in 2009, defeating Thiago Silva at UFC 94 in January, incomes the Gentle Heavyweight strap at UFC 98 by knocking out Rashad Evans in Could, and defended the title with a controversial unanimous choice victory over Shogun Rua at UFC 104 in October. Mousasi, additionally Three-Zero over the 12-month span, turned the Strikeforce Gentle Heavyweight champion and vacated the DREAM Middleweight title this 12 months. His submission of Mark Hunt was anticipated, as was his KO of Babalu at Strikeforce “Cyborg vs. Carano,” however it was his TKO of Sokoudjou in November that made American MMA followers, “true believers.” Another headlines that left MMA followers shaking their heads in 2009 included Kimbo Slice, as soon as the lead-man for the Elite XC bandwagon, becoming a member of forces with Dana White and the UFC together with his stint on the tenth season of The Final Fighter. Though Kimbo did not have a profitable run within the TUF 10 match, he did document an official octagon victory together with his unanimous choice over Houston Alexander on the December Finale which has earned him a roster spot within the promotion that when made him out to be a laughing inventory. Dan Henderson, a veteran multi-weight who has fought all around the world, shocked the MMA world in a couple of method this 12 months. After the Workforce Quest founder produced one of many 12 months’s most brutal KO’s, a UFC 100 KO of Michael Bisping, he shocked the beloved UFC followers by defecting to rival Strikeforce in December. Lastly, when talking on stunning moments within the combating business, you might be misplaced in the event you depart Quinton “Rampage” Jackson out of the combination. “Rampage,” recent off of his position as a coach on TUF 10, first introduced his “retirement” from the UFC after which, a month later, introduced that he was not completed combating simply but, asserting that he would certainly return to struggle later in 2010. Rampage, who was off filming in a supporting position for the A-Workforce film, missed his major occasion struggle in opposition to new-found rival Rashad Evans in his dwelling city of Memphis, TN at UFC 107 and engaged in a verbal confrontation with UFC President and former good friend, Dana White. This 12 months additionally included a number of the flashiest submissions ever caught on broadcast TV. Demian Maia’s triangle choke submission victory over Chael Sonnen at UFC 95 in February was spectacular, as was Ricky Story’s arm triangle choke submission on the undercard at UFC 103 in September. Nevertheless, the most effective submission of the 12 months with no query has to go to Toby Imada’s inverted triangle choke submission over Jorge Masvidal on the upstart Bellator FC four in Could. After getting punished on the bottom and on his ft for 2½ rounds, Imada defended in opposition to a takedown try, slipped his shin across the neck of a standing Masvidal and choked him unconscious for his eighth straight victory. The seldom-seen submission will go down as among the finest in not solely the previous 12 months however within the historical past of the game.

General, we are able to say that the 12 months of 2009 was a profitable one if talking on MMA alone. We acquired by means of the financial decline that price so many followers their jobs. We noticed a top-notch MMA online game fly off the shops, and watched as “The Iceman” struggled by means of two left ft as a competitor on the ABC hit present, “Dancing with the Stars.. Many productive occasions have led to the place we at the moment are with the event of blended martial arts; nevertheless one factor is for certain, that 2009 has been a significant success in contribution to creating blended martial arts the primary sport worldwide.